just wanted to know what tires you guys use for winter... this will be the first winter for my R and looking for a good set price and performance wise...
thanks in advance!

 

I'd like to add a question since we're talking about snow tires
How do Michelin Pilot Alpins perform in the snow ???

 

Advan A032R

 

uhh in the winter? Here's a tip....move to Sunny California~!


[Modified by Type Goch, 6:19 PM 10/10/2001]

 

nah forreal tho, the alpins are good in the snow, I have them on my Civic

 

The Dunlop SP5000's worked well for me last year.. A hell-of-a-lot more traction than the RE010's when the weather got cold.

 

Try Vredestein!!! The Wintrac! http://www.americatire.com/index2.asp

It's a performance winter tire! I had a set for a winter on my R! Speed rated 130 mph Really good sidewall! A bit pricey, but performance cost something!

They were really good for me in Montreal, they should work fine for you in NJ!

 

I don't think you need dedicated winter tires in NJ when it only snows 3 or 4 times during the winter season.

 

I'm planning on going with the Alpines in stock size. They're H rated so hopefully the dry handling capabilities will be decent.

 

I had a set of Dunlop SP 4000's last year. They did pretty well in the snow for an all-season tire. The 5000's should be able to do just as good or even better.

I plan on getting the Michelin Alpines this year. Nothing beats a dedicated winter tire.

I suggest checking out tirerack.com and checking out the ratings to get an idea of how well the tires perform in ice, snow, dry pavement.

 

i used 205/55/15 dunlop 5000 last winter and they performed admirably. i never had a problem getting through snow, even on my steep driveway. they gave up a bit of grip in hard braking on packed snow (duh), but they were great on dry roads. southern ct winters generally sit around 25-35 and the dunlops were great. actually with the amount of sand they dump after a snowfall, i should get some off road tires.
oh, why 205/55? they are $10/tire cheaper than 205/50 and they were in stock. not like you really need to avoid sidewall flex in the snow.

 

Pilot alpins in stock size. Arguably the best in snow and in dry/cold considering its high speed rating.
Definitely saved me from a few colisions last couple of winters.

 

Uhk.. 130 MPH? I don't think I'll run that fast in Winter... lots of salt... bad for my Phoenix...

 

hell, that's what I was thinking...last couple of years I was in Jersey, only snowed like once or twice...

I don't have that problem now, doesn't get below 65 here all that often...ahhhh sunshine!

 

This is the biggest misconception about winter tires. Winter tires are not just for snow, but also for cold. Performance tires (like the RE010) have an optimal range of operating temperatures based on summer driving. All-season tires (SP5000) have a broader range of temperatures but don't do all that well in real cold. True winter tires are designed to be used in cold temperatures, so in frigid temperatures they will grip much better than other tires, even on dry pavement.

There are four winter tires that are available in 195/55-15:

Michelin Arctic Alpin ($78/tire at The Tire Rack)
Nokian Hakkapolita (*)
Michelin Pilot Alpin ($106)
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 ($108)

The Arctic Alpin and the Nokian are both outstanding on snow and ice, not as great when the temperature warms up a bit. The Pilot Alpin and LM-22 have better handling on dry roads when it's not frigid, with some winter capability (but not as good as the first two). You might want to go with the Pilot Alpin or the LM-22 in places like New Jersey or say St. Louis, where winters are fairly mild; those living in colder areas like Chicago and New England might do better to opt for the Arctic Alpin or the Nokian.

Note that there are other Blizzak models (MZ-01 and MZ-02) that are better on snow and ice than the LM-22, but I don't think they come in the stock size.

* - I don't think the Tire Rack sells Nokian tires but there's a dealer locator on the Nokian website; North American version is at http://www.nokiantires.com/html/map.htm



[Modified by nsxtcjr, 11:04 AM 10/11/2001]

 

Pilot Alpins =

Used them for 2 winters..never had a problem. And the car still handles well on dry cold roads as well.

 

anything made by nokian. i was in a car with nokian nrw a/s tires and it did better than me with michelin pilot alpins, both dry and snow/wet, so i can't help but wonder what nokian ice-and-snow only tires are like

 

130 mph... Well it's not like there's snow/sand/salt always on the road! I'll say that 90% of my driving during the winter is done on dry/semi-dry roads! Speeding is still an option...

 

Blizzak LM-22 in 195/55/15

HR speed rated.

 

Yep, Blizzak. This from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Right up in the true great white north!

 

I have Michelin Pilot Alpins (live in Chicago area) and they were awesome last winter. Even if you're screwing around trying to slide in the snow, they seem predictable.

 

Blizzaks are the bomb!!!!! They make you feel like Colin McCrae in the snow